Coconut Oil

We all are aware of the health benefits of coconut oil that include hair care, skin care, weight loss, maintaining cholesterol levels, stress relief, increased immunity, proper digestion and many more. In fact, coconut oil has a million uses and just recently I have discovered coconut oil as my beauty product and using it liberally on my skin.

It’s a miracle product. I have started using coconut oil as a wonderful natural way to make my hair and skin soft, radiant and healthy. Coconut oil is not only great for our hair but for our overall health as well. It has become my life’s most obsessed natural beauty staple.
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Coconut oil is one of the most inexpensive natural remedies that can help treat my dry, scaly, and itchy skin this winter season. I don’t have to shell out thousands for chemically-treated branded moisturizers. I have learnt that the fatty acids in coconut oil helps lock moisture into the skin, making it smooth and it can be used over the elbows and other rough spots to soften them. Interestingly, people in Polynesian cultures have used coconut oil to nourish the skin for thousands of years. Now it’s my turn.

I have started using coconut oil as my body lotion: after the shower, I rub coconut oil all over my body— it feels and smells amazing. Coconut oil is an all natural beauty multi-tasker. It is one of the best natural skin care products available. I am sure regular application to my face can help maintain a youthful and glowing appearance.

Coconut oil is simply great for my skin: I have been dreading this dry winter skin but my bottle of coconut oil makes a great moisturizer from head to toe, particularly for my dry lips. Hopefully, it will work wonders for my skin. Coconut oil can be used as a skin softener, lip gel, makeup remover, anti aging cream, etc. etc etc. Just check out this website for some of the most amazing coconut oil skin recipes. I am sure you will love it http://www.livingthenourishedlife.com/2013/04/coconut-oil-skin-recipes

Nowadays I also sweep a small amount of coconut oil on top of my makeup and leave it alone. It looks like my skin had never glowed brighter than this and that is why coconut oil is my newest green beauty obsession. I apply it on my face morning and night for luscious treatment because the small molecular structure of coconut oil allows for easy absorption through my pores, giving my skin a soft and smooth texture.

I love my new beauty product.

LECTOR

The Lord has been merciful to me always. He has always led me in the right direction where I can glorify His name rightly. After a lot of contemplation, I have finally decided to be a lector. A lector is a person who reads aloud certain of the scriptural passages used in a church service. I have read a few times unofficially, but from now on I will be doing it officially as a lector. I attended the English lectors meeting on Sunday, 26th August, as I felt I am little prepared for it now. I felt the Lord is giving me the go ahead this year.


I very well remember that there was a phase in my life when I wanted to be a news reader. This dream couldn’t see the light of the day but God must have known my desire to be a reader and that’s why He is giving me an opportunity to fulfill my dream by becoming a lector in His presence. He wants me to be in His presence all the time. In fact, even I want to be in His presence all the time as I feel lost otherwise. So one by one God is fulfilling all my dreams and I am really very thankful to Him. Christ Jesus has always been gracious to me and He keeps pleading for me to His Father to be extra merciful to me and my family.


But as a lector, I have to be extremely careful. I have here with me some points taken from “The Effective Lector” by Edward Horodko. I will just take the excerpts from here:



• Understand the scripture passages and then successfully communicate them to the assembly.
• Practicing aloud is essential. Get used to the sound of the readings
• Start your preparation early in the week before your assigned turn.
• Prepare for both readings, even if one is assigned to another lector.
• To read a reading well, you must have deep understanding.
• Do not use someone else's ideas of where to pause, how to inflect, or which words to emphasize. These actions must come spontaneously and honestly from only one place: from what the reading means to you.
• Arrive about a half hour before mass starts.
• Consider your attitudes, your gestures, the tone of your voice, how you go about contacting your listeners with your eyes.
• Look like you belong where you are; realize that people are watching you

• The body. When it's time to address the assembly, hold your body straight but not rigid. Don't slouch. Look like you want to communicate. Have authority. Be genuine, be unpretentious.
• The feet. Keep your feet firmly planted while you speak.
• The face. Use it to convey meaning, but avoid all artificiality. Be yourself.
• The eyes. Have eye contact with people when you talk to them. But not at the expense of losing your place in the text. Have an awareness of all the people, but talk to them one-to-one.
• A good time to establish eye contact is during the opening "a reading from..." stand still before you begin reading.
• Create a significant silence before you begin speaking.
• Look across the entire room as you say the opening phrase. Then pause again and begin the reading.
• You may find it useful to run your finger along the text as you read so you can freely maintain eye contact with the assembly without the risk of loosing your place.
• Never look artificial or "theatrical."
• Walk to the ambo and take a deep breath as you arrive there. This will calm you and elp you focus your power.
• Ask other lectors to critique you. Dedicate yourself to being an effective lector.
• Always set the opening and closing forms ("a reading from..." and "the word of the lord.") apart from the body of text with both a pause and a change of attitude. Remember that they are not part of the reading; don't make it sound like they are.
• When you make a mistake, remember why you're there... To convey the word of god. You're not there to show people that you're perfect, or what a great reader you are. If you ruin a sentence or thought, simply back up and say it correctly. Whatever you do, don't apologize for your mistake; that adds to the distraction, taking people even farther from the meaning you're trying to convey. Don't be embarrassed because you're human.
• If no meaning was lost in your error, ignore the minor error.
• Remember that ministry is service.
• Perform your role in the liturgy of the word fully prepared, with a mastery of your readings, honestly communicating god's word to god's people.

Ed Horodko's ministries have included liturgist, cantor, music director, and Director of Lectors, most recently at Sacred Heart Church, Olema, California. He is also a lector workshop teacher / leader, and a professional voice actor who has announced nationally in thousands of commercials. Currently he develops and supports Catholic radio broadcasts in the Dioceses of Reno, NV and Sacramento, CA, at Immaculate Heart Radio.

Change is good

And keeping this change in mind, I want to get going in 2014.

The first change of heart took place on the evening of 31st Dec, 2013, when we decided to participate in the New Year celebrations of our building. It was in 2011 that we had last attended these celebrations. We had kept ourselves totally aloof from everything and everyone but we realized that we are SOCIETY and shouldn't do so. So we participated in the celebrations.

Then I have got myself involved in the Women's Cell/Club and want to be active henceforth. I have befriended all the ladies in the building. So I want to be the change I want to see in my life.

Most importantly, while attending the New Year eucharistic celebration on the morning of 1st Jan, I realized that I shouldn't give up my animatorship. During Father's sermon, I made up my mind to get actively involved in my cluster. So I am going to gather all the lost sheep of my cluster and bring them under the Lord's protection. The Lord has given me this responsibility in 2014.

So as my first step toward bringing all the sheep together, I am all set to keep a Rosary on 18 Jan. I want to make this happen. Every month. While writing this, I seek the blessings of the Almighty Lord to give me the grace to get this going the way the Lord wants it. Amen!!!

PS: Dec 22, 2013, Sunday, was a beautiful sight to behold in the church. All four of us took the offertory during the 9:30 am Eucharistic Celebration. Sadly, nobody clicked our photo. So we don't have any memorable pic of the beautiful moment.

First post of the year...

Eph 4:29-32

Do not use harmful words in talking. Use only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed, so that what you say will do good to those who hear you. And do not make God's Holy Spirit sad: for the Spirit is God's mark of ownership on you, a guarantee that the Day will come when God will set you free. Get rid of all bitterness, passion, and anger. No more shouting or insults. No more hateful feelings of any sort. Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you in Christ.